The cleaning and washing of wounds is required to remove foreign material and to decrease bacterial contamination. The wound-care provider, whether a first responder, nurse, physician, surgeon, or assistants, should be protected or isolated from bodily fluids and any contaminated irrigation fluids.
A collection pan or receptacle is usually placed under the wound that is to be treated in order to collect the irrigation fluid used during the irrigation and debridement. Debridement is the removal of foreign matter such as dirt, contaminates, or dead tissue. Irrigation is the flushing of fluid over the wound to remove smaller particles and bacteria to decrease the possibility of infection.
During irrigation and debridement procedures, often times the fluid is not received in a collection pan. Further, fluid can splash onto the wound-care provider, equipment, and surroundings. In other words, the collection pan placed under the wound usually does not catch all of the irrigation or wound fluids that are present during the irrigation and debridement procedure. This is of particular concern should the patient have blood-borne infections such as HIV, hepatitis, or cytomegalovirus, thereby putting the wound-care provider at risk of contracting an infectious disease. There are times when a patient may not be aware that they have contracted an infectious disease, and hence, the adoption of universal precautions has been recommended. The spillage of contaminated irrigation fluid requires sterilization of the materials in the immediate environment, which could include carpeting, walls, bed coverings, etc.
Therefore, there is a need for a fluid containment system that provides a barrier to the wound-care provider to the splash or spillage of contaminated irrigation fluids or body fluids. This system must contain and collect body and irrigation fluids. It must enclose them for the safety of the wound-care provider and provide adequate means for removing the irrigation fluids and biological tissue without restricting the activities of the wound-care provider. An additional need is evident for a containment device that can be reduced to a convenient size for storage, transport, and disposal.